Daily Archives: July 30, 2017

Would you rather slave 9 to 5 or hustle 24/7?

For Kyle Cicero, co-owner of Ascension Physical Therapy, the answer is simple. He knows that true success in any area of life requires a dedicated amount of hustling. And that is exactly what he spends most of his days doing.

A single session of physical therapy following an injury in high school first sparked Ciceros interest in the field. He admitted being attracted to the more hands-on, patient friendly profession of physical therapy and decided to pursue that as a career.

A 2006 Carroll College graduate, Cicero is also proud to have been a member of two of their NAIA championship football teams. Cicero later attended Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences and graduated in 2011 with a doctorate of physical therapy. He has been practicing in the Helena area ever since.

After working for Heuiser Physical Therapy for a few years, Cicero made the bold decision in January 2016 to open his own practice, Ascension Physical Therapy, along with business partners Anna Larson and Jeff Shirley. At Ascension, Cicero specializes in low back pain and spine care, post-operative care, shoulder pain, knee pain, and any other physical therapy needs of his patients.

For Cicero, the greatest rewards from his physical therapy practice come from offering his patients a place to be comfortable during a stressful time and watching them walk through the door smiling and free of pain.

In addition to his physical therapy practice, Cicero also spends his days hustling with a new business venture in the CrossFit industry, which Cicero has been part of for several years. He was first introduced to CrossFit in 2010 while attending physical therapy school.

I instantly fell in love with it, said Cicero.

What stood out most to Cicero about CrossFit was the sense of community it creates. Unlike traditional gym settings where members pop in their headphones and tune out everyone else, CrossFit is a group effort each day. Cicero explained that members perform the same workout of the day with several other people right beside them who offer support and encouragement to one another. All of the workouts are also based on functional movements, which Cicero appreciates as a physical therapist.

Its more motivating and creates a better overall lifestyle, said Ciceroof CrossFit.

Ciceros passion for CrossFit compelled him to later acquire a CrossFit Level 1 (CF-L1) Trainer Certification in 2015 to coach others. His background in physical therapy makes Cicero very safety oriented when it comes to his coaching. Since he understands what the body can and cannot do, he trains his clients to properly perform dead lifts and other movements to prevent injury. Cicero explained that he is considered the CrossFit physical therapist in town, as hes worked with patients who have sustained injuries from CrossFit workouts.

Cicero was also instrumental in the founding of another CrossFit gym in Helena where he served as a coach for a period of time. But once again, Cicero eventually grew restless and decided to branch out. After partnering with friends, Alex Tubbs and Krista Boutilier, the trio began developing an idea for their own CrossFit gym. The new gym, which will be called Seven Devils CrossFit after the seven mountaindraws behind the Sleeping Giant landmark, is scheduled to open in early August.

Besides being able to run a gym productively, Cicero also envisions the newfacility bringingtogether all of the CrossFit communities in town. While he is still sorting through the logistics, he hopes to allow members from other CrossFit gyms in town to visit his gym, and vice versa.

The samecamaraderie that happens inside the gym needs to happen outside the gym as well, said Cicero.

Looking back on his entrepreneurial endeavors, Cicero admits that hes been very lucky having had only successful experiences thus far. He attributes a lot of his success to the positive business partnerships hes been able to form. He explained that qualities like enthusiasm, kindness, work ethic, attention to detail and willingness to compromise help create a strong team that Cicero can be confident about.

At the end of the day, Cicero relies on laughter to help get him through all of the challenges that come with running a business.

Laughter is the only way youll get through it all, he said. I wholeheartedly believe that.

In pondering Ciceros uncanny ability to juggle so many endeavors, his brother Kerry Cicero stated, We have heard of the phrase working nine to five but Kyle works five to ten, said Kerry. What I mean is he is up at five to go coach CrossFit, then goes to Ascension and later bounces back to CrossFit. Kyle is able to take these risks because he knows he can bet on himself and will succeed.

Just where exactly does Ciceros inner confidence stem from? Cicero chalks it up to the support of his family and friends and Kyrie Hoang, his girlfriend. He also explained that his dad, Noel Cicero, passed on a lot of helpful qualities to him.

I just have the tenacity, said Cicero smiling. Its a Cicero thing.

More here:

Kyle Cicero: Co-owner, Ascension Physical Therapy - Helena Independent Record

Still, these is one aspect in which Ascension has found itself behind the eight ball. There is one aspect that has some residents frustrated and looking for long-overdue changes.

They want to see improvements finally made at the parish's baseball and softball parks.

In many aspects, Ascension is one of the premier parishes in the state.

It's one of the fastest growing areas in Louisiana, and the parish routinely grades out as one of the best in the state in academics.

When it comes to food, there is no greater indicator of its excellence than the title the city of Gonzales has earned as the "Jambalaya Capitol of the World."

When it comes to sports, the St. Amant vs. East Ascension football rivalry is one of the best in the state. Top to bottom, it's one of the most talented baseball and softball areas in Louisiana.

Still, these is one aspect in which Ascension has found itself behind the eight ball. There is one aspect that has some residents frustrated and looking for long-overdue changes.

They want to see improvements finally made at the parish's baseball and softball parks.

Recently, an anonymous resident sent a letter to the Weekly Citizen voicing their concerns, as well as the concerns of many like them.

The letter detailed the deficiencies of Butch Gore Park in St. Amant.

The park often hosts recreation softball tournaments that sometimes contain as many as 40 teams. The St. Amant High School softball squad also plays a tournament there each year.

Though, the author of the letter said that the conditions at the park have not been up to par. The bathrooms are unsatisfactory, and the sidewalk is in need of repairs.

The author said, "The sidewalks have become increasingly dangerous because there may be as much as five-inch drop-offs between it and the ground. Yes, this has caused injuries. I believe the lack of action to assure the health and safety of our players and spectators needs to be addressed immediately."

This letter proved to be just the tip of the iceberg.

The week I published it in the Weekly Citizen's sports section, I also posted it on our website and our Facebook page.

There, it received a huge response from local readers. Not only did many agree that it was high time Butch Gore received repairs, there were countless Ascension residents that argued that Butch Gore was just one of the many parks in the parish that needed a serious face-lift.

In fact, the consensus opinion was that out of the major parks in the parish, Butch Gore was actually the park that needed the least amount to TLC.

The parks that continued to come up were Stevens, Paula and St. Amant.

One Facebook user said, Paula Park needs major work done. Butch Gore looks amazing compared to it.

The whole situation is a catch-22 for the parish.

Many residents want to see these parks improved, but with the recreation budget already paper thin, its hard to see these wide-sweeping repairs taking place.

Recently, there was a tax proposed for the distinct purpose of the recreation department having the funds to fix things, but that proposal failed to garner enough votes.

Without the extra funds from the tax, things will continue to be complicated when it comes to park renovation, but that doesnt mean its impossible.

Some have said that better management could go a long way.

The author of the letter pointed out that the tournaments held at parks like Butch Gore bring in a lot of money that could go toward these projects.

Im no park expert, Im not on the recreation committee and my college degree was not in finance or business administration.

I dont know how they get there, but like the many concerned parish residents, I would love to see these parks improved.

Ascension is such an amazing baseball and softball parish.

Many of its players will go on to play collegiately, and almost every high-school will compete in the playoffs each year. There is usually at least one team that will reach Sulphur for the state tournament.

Little-league teams routinely bring home district, state and world series titles each summer.

These talented young players, their coaches, parents and fans all deserve better than what they have now.

Link:

No walk in the park - Post South